Refrigeration



March 16, 1937. c. RHENNEY REFRIGERATION `Original Filed July 20, 1932 Patented Mar. 16 1937 PAT-ENT OFFICE 2,073,744 REFRIGERATION Charles F. Henney,

mesne assignments,

Dayton, Ohio, assignor, by

to General Motors Corporation, a corporation of lDelaware Application July 20, 1932, Serial No; 623,533

\ Renewed September 28, 1934 11 Claims.

` This invention relates to refrigeration.

One of the objects ci this invention is the maintainance of proper air conditions within struc' tures having two or more compartments with an inter-communicating passage where the air conditions in one of the compartments are to be maintained different from the air conditions in another compartment and where it is nevertheless desirable to maintain a relatively free access or passage from one compartment to the other.

This invention is of general scope an'd is useful in many applications. LIt is particularly useful in structures where there is 'a dining compartment and a communicating service orcooking l5 compartment and where it is desirable to maintain the air in the dining compartment in an exceptionally desirable condition and free from kitchen smoke or odors while maintaining the inter-communicating passage open so that service between the two compartments will not be unduly hampered. i

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following' description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a horizontal cross-sectional view, somewhat diagrammatic, of a structure embodying this invention; and

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional View somewhat diagrammatic of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

-In practicing the invention, one of the compartments, in this particular embodiment the dining compartment, is provided with means for conditioning the air. Means are also provided for maintaining a blast of air across the passage leading to the service or cooking compartment 4in such a way as to inhibit circulation of air from one compartment to the other and means are provided for maintaining diiierent air pressures in the compartments, so that the air from the blast after it has spent itself will flow substantlallyto one compartment only.

' This invention'is particularly useful in dining cars, though it is to be understood that it is applicable to many other structures, and for a clearer understanding of the invention the same is disclosed as embodied in a dining car. In the drawing, a structure or dining car is designated at I0 and includes a dining compartment II, and a service or cooking compartment I2. An intercommunicating passage Ill is provided for easy 55 access between the two compartments. While a door may be provided for the passage I3, it is generally desirable while meals are being served, to maintain the passage I3 open, so that the waiters may pass freely .to and fro, between the two compartments. y 5 Means are provided for conditioning the air in the dining compartment II. This conditioning may be by heating nature in the winter, and cooling in the summer. The conditioning means shown in the -drawing includes one or more cooll0 ing devices having tubular casings I4 and I5 placed at each end of the dining compartment and throughthese blowers I6 and I1 force air into the dining compartment. Inside the casings I4 and I5 are placed cooling coils, not shown, l5 which may be the evaporators of a mechanical reirigerating system including a compressor I8, condenser I9, receiver 20, liquid refrigerant lines 2 I, and evaporated refrigerant line 22. The compressor I8 may be driven by an electric motor 23 20 controlled if desired by a thermostat or humidistat or a combination of the two generally designated as 24. The compressor delivers compressed refrigerant to the condenser I9 where it is liquefied and discharged into the receiver 20 from 25 whence it ows through the lines 2I to the evaporators. Here the refrigerant is evaporated and returns 'in a gaseous condition through the line 22 to the compressor I8. It is to be understood, however, that any means for conditioning the air 30 .may be substituted for the structure shown in the drawing.

The air forced by the blowers I6 and Il `into the compartment II returns as indicated by the arrow vto the intake compartments 25 and 26 35 through grills 21 and is redisoharged through the cooling devices. If desired, the intake compartments 25 and 26 may be provided with fresh air ducts 28 and 29 which admit the desired amount of fresh air into the dining room com- 40 partment.

Means are provided for creating a blast of air across the passage I3 in such a manner as to inhibit circulation oi' air between the compartments II and I2. This may include a blower 30 45 which forces air, preferably from outside of the car Il), through a nozzle 3| in the form of a sheetlike blast 32 across the passageway I3. The blast is of such size and force that it prevents substantially any interchange of air between the 50 compartments II and I2, but is not of suicient force to interfere with the proper service between the two. Means are provided for maintaining diierent pressures in the compartments II and I2 so that the blast 32' is directed sub- 55 stantially only into one of the compartments. In this particular embodiment, the blast of air is caused to enter the compartment' I2 by maintaining the compartment I I at a greater air pressure than the compartment I2. For this purpose a blower 38 is provided, which has a greater force than the blower 30, and withdraws air from the compartment I2 at such a rate or force that the air /pressure in the compartment I2 is less than in the compartment II. Preferably the blower 33 forces the air thus withdrawn through a proper discharge device 34 out to the exterior of the car.

Generally the compartment I2, when it is a service or cooking compartment, has many devices which tend to heat the air in the compartment. It would generally be a very costly operation to cool this compartment with artiiiclal refrigeration. However, by the active circulation maintained at the blowers 30 and 33, compartment I2 is prevented from unduly heating above the temperature of the outside atmosphere and thus conditions as comfortable as could reasonably be expected are maintained in this compartment. On the other hand, the dining compartment II is not subject to artiiicial heating devices in the summer, and hence this compartment may be economically cooled by artificial refrigeration, and because of my invention, the air in this compartment may be maintained at a comfortable temperature without being heated or rendered disagreeable by the relatively warm, odor laden air in the kitchen compartment. By the use of this invention, therefore it is possible to maintain proper air conditions throughout the car in an economical manner, and without interfering with proper dining service.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of* the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A structure having two compartments with an inter-communicating passage, means for cooling the air in one of said compartments, means for creating a blast o'f air introduced from outside said structure across said passage to inhibit the circulation of air from one compartment to the other, and means for withdrawing air from one of said compartments to reduce the air pressure therein below the air pressure in the other of said compartments.

2. A structure having a first named compartment and a second named compartment with an inter-communicating passage, means for cooling the air in said rst named compartment, means for creating a blast of air introduced from outside said structure across said passage to inhibit the circulation of air from said second named compartment to said first named compartment, and means for withdrawing air from said second named compartment to reduce the air pressure therein below the air pressure in the other of said compartments.

3. A structure having a dining compartment and a service compartment with an inter-communicating passage, means for cooling the air in said dining compartment, means for creating a blast of air across said passage to inhibit the circulation of air from one compartment to the other, and means for maintaining a greater air pressure in said dining compartment than in said service compartment.

fl. A structure having a dining compartment and a service compartment with an inter-communicating passage, means for cooling the air in said dining compartment, means for creating a. blast of air introduced from outside said structure across said passage to inhibit the circulation of air from one compartment to the other, and means for maintaining a greater air pressure in said dining compartment than in said service compartment.

5. A structure having a dining compartment and a service compartment with an inter-communicating passage, means for cooling the air in said dining compartment, means for creating a blast of air introduced from outside said structure across said passage to inhibit the circulation of air from one compartment to the other, and means for discharging air outside said structure from said service compartment at a rate suiiicient to maintain a greater air pressure in said dining compartment than in said service compartment.

6. A structure having a dining compartment and a service compartment with an inter-communicating passage, means for cooling the air in said dining compartment, a fan for forcing air from outside said structure in the form of a blast across said passage to inhibit the circula.- tion of air from one compartment to the other, and a fan of greater force than said rst named fan for withdrawing air from said service compartment at a rate suiiicient to maintain a greater air pressure in said dining compartment than in said service compartment.

'7. A structure having two compartments with an inter-communicating passage, means for cooling the air in one of said compartments, means for creating a downward blast of air across said passage to inhibit the circulation of air from one compartment to the other, and means for maintaining a different air pressure in said compartments to direct substantially all of said blast into one of said compartments.

8. A structure having a dining compartment and a service compartment with an inter-communicating passage, means for cooling the air in said dining compartment, means for creating a downward blast of air across said passage to inhibit the circulation of air from one compartment to the other, and means for maintaining a greater air pressure in said dining compartment than in said service compartment.

9. A structure having a dining compartment and a service compartment with an inter-communicating passage, means for cooling the air in said dining compartment, means above'the iioor of said passage for creating a blast oi air across said passage to inhibit the circulation of air from one compartment to the other, and means for maintaining a greater air pressure in said dining compartmentv than in said service compartment.

10. A structure having a dining ,compartment and a service compartment with an inter-communicating passage, means for cooling the air in said dining compartment, means above the iioor of said passage for creating a blast of air introduced from outside said structure across said passage to inhibit the circulation of air from one compartment to the other, and means for discharging air outside said structure from said service compartment at a rate sumcient to mainu tain a greater air pressure in said dining compartment than in said service compartment.

ll. A structure having two compartments sub stantially sealed from each other except for an intercommunicating open doorway between said compartments, means for creating a blast of air completely across said doorway, and means creating a greater pressure in one of said compartments than in the other of said compartments to force substantially all of said blast into. said other of said compartments whereby there is an unobstructed passage between said compartments and the air from said other of said compartments is substantially prevented from entering the rst named of said compartments. 

